A very interesting phenomenon are the friends I’ve made here in Canada who, once they get to know me, get interested in Brazilian culture. The only problem, I’m a HORRIBLE reference for the kind of thing they ask me about – what Brazil exports is what I loathe the most.

Take, for instance, a guy who tried to befriend me by telling his interest in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Being born and raised in Rio, I can only associate jiu-jitsu practitioners to horrendous brainless douchebags. I tried to explain that to him in a nice way, but I don’t think he believed me. A co-worker was being super nice and friendly and told me how much she loved this brazilian music she heard, she felt like dancing to it immediately, and if I could recommend some bands to her – of course it was AXÉ, something I utterly dislike. Well, at least I could help her, because everyone knows Ivete and Daniela Mercury…

I have been asked about movies, bands, and even food I dislike or don’t know, because that’s the reason I left the country: I don’t care/like the mainstream Brazilian culture. I don’t like soccer, Axé, Pagode, Samba, Carnaval, Feijoada (damn, I don’t even eat pork). My favourite food is sushi! I am a fraud!

The next time you need recommendation in asian gore movies, or nordic electronic bands you can ask me. But brazilian art, maybe someone else.

There are so many things I love about spring!

The squirrels!
The flowers!
The birds!
The cherry blossoms!
Cycling!

Everything looks beautiful, beautiful, oh I love the park and the lake!

But, there’s something I really hate about spring. HAY FEVER. I am back to nasal steroids. Pollen and me, we’re no good friends.

Já disse que tem um monte de razões, mas todo dia vejo nos meus feeds de notícias alguma coisa que me lembra o quanto do Brasil eu não quero nem o pó. A última, que merece post histericozinho, é essa notícia que o Supremo Tribunal Federal está votando a descriminalização do aborto de fetos anencéfalos. E tem um rio, um mar de instituições protestando POR ISSO, como se fosse um grande drama.

Tem vários lances errados acontecendo aí. Em primeiro lugar, o que mais me incomoda, é que a essa altura do campeonato, o Brasil já deveria ter amadurecido o suficiente em respeito a direitos da mulher para estar discutindo, e votando, a legalização do aborto. Mas nãããão. Não são nem capazes de falar “aborto” quando querem defender o ponto de vista nas notícias, usam o eufemismo “interrupção da gravidez”. É aborto sim. E é um direito de qualquer uma que fica grávida. Não é problema meu nem de ninguém. Se alguém é contra aborto, beleza, não faz, né? Mas deixa o serviço lá disponível pra quem precisar. Que encheção de saco, mania de se meter na vida alheia.

Em segundo lugar, daí que a mulher ficou grávida e descobriu que o feto tem anencefalia. Acontece. Isso significa que ela vai carregar por meses um feto que ou vai morrer durante a gravidez ou vai morrer logo após. Em casos muito raros, vivem um pouco mais que isso. A lei lá é pra permitir que a moça tenha a possibilidade de abortar se quiser. Se ela quiser sofrer e ver como é um feto anencéfalo (sei lá, tem gente masoquista) e enterrar o natimorto, e curtir sofrimento pós-parto, problema dela também, não tenho nada a ver com isso. Mas se ela quiser evitar isso tudo, ELA VAI TER ESSE DIREITO SEM MUITO STRESS. Mas a bandinha de pessoas que se metem na vida alheia está lá, de pé, patrulhando, e querem obrigar essas moças a curtirem o sofrimento de uma gravidez que vai resultar em um natimorto, mesmo que elas não queiram isso.

O fato é que o Brasil é demasiado machista e se importa demais com a vida alheia. Essas duas coisas combinadas resultam em leis retrógradas e muito atraso social. Como melhorar isso? Eu honestamente não faço idéia. Acho que só com muita educação, e a educação no Brasil vai de mal a pior, então eu vejo um futuro PÉSSIMO nesse aspecto. Eu não acredito no futuro do Brasil. Eu vejo a sociedade puxando o país para trás, pra um conservadorismo que deveria ter sido esquecido. Ignoram fatos, se prendem a dogmas.

O Brasil se parece cada vez mais com aqueles Estados ali ao Sul do Canadá, sabe…

Having been born and raised in Rio, a city just 22 degrees south of the equator, the effects of sunshine and heat were, most of the time, ANNOYING. It’s always hot, sunny, and hot, really hot. And, believe me, going to school, to work, 40 hours a week, under this neverending heatwave, is exhaustive. The sun is your worst enemy.

Then I spent two years in São Paulo, a bit southernmost, a city with a terrible climate. It can be hot and cloudy, you have a very dry winter – no rain at all for a month or longer – and the pollution levels are unbearable. I am glad I only lived there for two years, my skin didn’t like it. But it got enough sunshine, though.

When I moved to Toronto, I understood why the sun can be important. We are 43 degrees north of the equator, meaning there are days the sun will be shining for less than 9 hours. And you will probably be stuck at the office during those 9 hours. You won’t see any daylight. It gets DEPRESSING after a while. So, when the days start to become longer again and you see the sun outside and you can go out without wearing a parka, you get really happy! Your body is producing chemicals which make you smile again! Birds are singing, squirrels are playing, there’s no reason to be sad. And you MUST enjoy it, because after the summer solstice the days will become shorter again, that’s how planets work.

So, now that the spring equinox has come, I have 4 full months to SMILE with longer days! Hooray for the sun in MAH FACE… NOT! Today is raining, and supposedly the temperatures are dropping for the next week. Well, it was good while it lasted.

Spring arrived early this year, and it means I have been cycling for a while now. And cycling regularly also means I have to be aware of crazy drivers. I do my best when I cycle and have been especially careful since my accident last year, but I really have this feeling drivers feel they are *PERFECT*. That doesn’t apply to TTC drivers, who are usually AWESOME when you are riding a bike and tend to be extremely helpful.

But, back to drivers, the most common mistake – and a terrible one – is to open their door in a busy street. Sometimes in a bike lane. This can seriously hurt someone. This can kill someone. Or, there could be a truck and the driver can die. People are just CRAZY and SIMPLY OPEN THEIR DOORS and DON’T EVEN LOOK. If you do that, please stop doing that or someone WILL DIE. People die.

Not so terrible, but annoying as hell: people who park on the bike lane. The bike lane exists for a purpose, and if you park on it, then, doh, bikes cannot use it. Same thing applies for delivery trucks on bike lanes. Dude, you are A GIANT and bikes are tiny. I expect some bad outcome from this. Don’t put your big thing on the tiny lane. Thanks.

On the other hand, there are some VERY BAD cyclists in the city. People who cycle on sidewalks. People who cycle in the dark wearing no lights. People who cycle in the wrong way. You, people, I hate you. You make my life harder, too, because one of these crazy dudes riding in the wrong way was the asshole who hit me last year. Don’t be one of them.

Long story short, my accident made me more careful with crossings, and pay more attention to things around me. I could have learned that without damaging my wrist, but at least it wasn’t something so serious!

Sure I said just one week ago we weren’t getting real snow at Christmas eve, joking about living in Toronto and having above-freezing temperatures in December and everything. Then it started, exactly one day after Christmas, like all meteorologists are playing a prank on me. We got three days of a light, but constant snow, and lots of wind, and -12 temperatures. I took a picture from my office when the snow gave us a break – it sure doesn’t look that bad, but it was VERY cold outside.

During New Year’s Eve things got a little better and people were even able to celebrate outdoors, but it was just a quick break for what’s coming after us now: another week of snow, wind and freezing temperatures. Welcome, Canadian winter. I am glad I don’t have a driveway to shovel, and have lots of tea to keep me warm.